Travel Info!

Hi everyone!

So I knew I would be getting to France approximately around January 27th, but a few days ago I got my official travel info!

First, I fly to New York for an orientation. This lasts about one day. We fly out of JFK on the 26th and I arrive to Paris on the 27th. In Paris, I'll meet people from eight different countries at my orientation, and together, we will go through orientations and lessons about France and the French culture. We are also taking a bus tour of Paris!

On the 29th..... I MEET MY HOST FAMILY!
I will take a train to Toulouse, where they will meet me! I looked up the length of the train ride and it's about five and a half hours- so I will have plenty of time to sleep, read, and gaze out the window!

48 days until I'm in Toulouse!

Grace

Host Family!

Hello!


From the title- you can assume what this post is about! I GOT MY HOST FAMILY!!


On January 27th- I will be going to Toulouse, France to live with the Juskiewenski's!
I will have one sister, Lea, who is 13. I will also have a brother but he is currently in Eugene, Oregon for a year with AFS. We will overlap one week in France, so I will mostly talk to him over Skype with the family. The name of the Dad is Pierre-Georges, and the Mom's name is Nadia. The brother's name is Alexandre. I have already emailed with them, and they seem very nice and welcoming! They told me that in February, we are taking a trip to go skiing in the Alps! I will walk to school, because it is right next to the house. We are about 2km from the center of the city, so I can also walk/run there!


Here are a few facts about Toulouse:
-Fifth largest city in France, with over 1 million people
-It is called "La ville rose" because of the pink accents on the houses (My house has a pink door!)
-Toulouse has the best rugby team in all of France and Europe!
-The University in Toulouse is the second largest, and the one of the oldest in Europe. It originated in 1229!
-The Canal du Midi is the oldest canal in Europe still in use. It was originally constructed during the reign of Louis XIV by the engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet.
-Toulouse is known as the 'Space Capital' of France because of Toulouse Space Center (CST), which is the largest Space Center in Europe
-Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (the impressionist) is from Toulouse!

Location of Toulouse

Toulouse Lautrec's most famous painting

Capital Building of Toulouse

My new house!

My family (minus the Dad)

Formally Accepted!

Bonjour!

A few days ago, I was sent my acceptance email into AFS-France. Now, I just have to wait! In the email, it said that I will get my host family about a month before I leave, so I will (hopefully) get my family around Christmas. I was talking to one girl who is in France right now, and she said she got her host family two weeks before she left! I have also talked to other people that get their family two months before they leave. I'm crossing my fingers that I get my host family quickly. I will keep everyone posted! Thank you to everyone that donated, I am already so much closer to my goal!

-Grace

First Post!

Hello!

My name is Grace, and I am a junior at Shorewood High School in Shorewood, WI and I just applied for a semester abroad in France. I will be traveling this spring through AFS (American Field Service) Intercultural Programs. They place me with a host family, a school, and for the six months abroad, I will be immersed in the culture. 


This blog is about my time leading up to, during, and after my time abroad. I have wanted to go abroad for a few years, and after convincing my parents, I succeeded! I hope that this experience will give me a new outlook on the world, and I will be more open to new and exciting cultures. In addition to learning about another culture, I also hope to teach people about my culture. 


The main purpose of this blog is to tell people about my experiences, and to aid people who are looking into participating with AFS. Another part of this blog is to help me pay for this adventure. I am paying about one-third of my tuition, and my parents will hopefully be able to pay for one-third also. I have been babysitting non-stop during the summer and during the school-year to try and save as much money as I can. For the other third, I am counting on scholarships and donations. I know money is tight, but any amount would help. If you would like to donate, please click on the ChipIn! button on the side of the screen. This donation is a secure donation, and will be directly donated to AFS, who will then take the money away from my payments. It would also be a huge help if you could forward my blog to anyone you think would either be interested in donating, or interested in hearing about my experiences. http://gecorry.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much!




-Grace